KOCHI: The Greater Cochin Development Watch (GCDW) on Thursday welcomed the decision to set up a sewage management plant for five divisions in West Kochi under the Smart City Mission projects. However, office-bearers of the association warned the officials concerned to consider the past experience when a similar plant was proposed at Mundamveli.
“We have several experiences in the past when sewage treatment plant proposals were scrapped due to various reasons including protests by local residents. Hence a proper and scientific study should be conducted before implementing the project. Moreover, a proper awareness campaign is also needed,” said GCDW president Stanley Poulose.
He cited the dropped proposals for the construction of sewage treatment plants at Mundamveli and Fort Kochi-Veli as examples.
“In 2016, funds to the tune of Rs 168 crore allotted by Asian Development Bank for the sewage plant lapsed. Such a situation should not happen again in the case of Smart City Mission projects. We hope the authorities would speed up proceedings and complete the proposals in a time-bound manner,” he added.